Serendipity's Embrace

Chapter-2

Haile's P.O.V

Despite the headache, I still had to work. My focus couldn't last long. My mind drifted back to that pair of brown eyes. Why did his presence linger this strongly? I will go crazy. I can't even form a face except for his icy cold eyes coated with a hint of raw emotions. 

Why was I even drawn out to a stranger in the first place? It's not like we're going to meet again. The world's too big for that. 

I forced myself to snap out of the trance. Something was wrong with me. I slapped my cheeks forcing myself to wake up and get back to work. 

Someone knocked on my door, I looked up from my desk to find the head of the department, Erick. I quickly stood up feeling uneasy at his sudden arrival. Erick never came to my office. It was me most of the time who went to him for reporting. 

"It's alright Haile. Take a seat." He spoke in a low ominous tone as he approached me. Goosebumps started forming on the back of my neck; my heart quickened its pace.

"No, it's alright sir." I replied, my voice betraying my nerves as I nervously shifted in my spot. Erick's smirk only deepened. 

"Did you need something?" I asked, attempting to get his attention. He was shamelessly checking me out. I regretted my choice of wearing this white blouse.

The tension in the room thickened more when he looked into my eyes. I was not getting a good vibe from him. I glanced around my desk, searching for anything to protect myself. My hand found the heavy circular object that Bella had gifted me jokingly, a reminder of her protective presence.

Before I could pick it up, the door to my office swung open and a bucket of relief washed over me. My saviour arrived just in time, saving me from whatever dark intentions Erick had.

Erick looked irritated but I welcomed the interruption with an open heart. He abruptly left as Mary, the assistant of Erick, came inside. 

“Everything alright Haile?” She inquired.

“I-I'm fine.” I gulped nervously. What was I even supposed to say?

“Uh ok. I actually needed a favour from you. Could please go and pick up a parcel for me?” She further added glancing at her clock, “I have a meeting in 5 minutes so I cannot go. Thank you, Haile.” She left without hearing my yes. Was this a favour or order? I left quickly shrugging. 

Even now that I was out to receive a parcel I couldn't shake off the feeling that something bad was about to happen. I shivered at the thought. The place wasn't that far from the office so I chose to walk.

A warm breeze brushed against my skin intensifying my shivers. I badly needed a distraction. Anything to divert my thoughts, if only for a moment.

 Pulling my phone from my back pocket, I sought comfort in the familiar art of Yayoi Kusama's latest art collection. She has always been an inspiration to me. Her art portrays deep memories of her childhood. Not everything needs to be expressed in words, her art proved that. 

As I turned the corner, lost in Yayoi Kusama's art, I collided with someone rock solid. The impact sent a jolt through my body as if I bumped into a wall.

My breath caught in my throat as I staggered back until a strong hand reached out to steady me. I was still in a daze, I momentarily looked up to apologise but what I saw next had me frozen in disbelief.

Standing before me, the least expected person on the entire planet, the mesmerising brown-eyed guy! Recognition flickered in his eyes, mirroring the shock I felt, before he abruptly pushed past me and disappeared into the crowd. I stood there in utter disbelief, unable to process what just happened.

This was not how I imagined my day would go. The day kept getting stranger with each passing moment.

By the time I returned home, it was 10 o'clock sharp. I was later than usual.
"I'm so tired man," I muttered, sinking into the couch. Bella was watching a movie. She glanced over at me from her seat, "Rough day?"

I chuckled weakly in response, "You have no idea. How was your day?" She paused the movie and jumped from her seat. "So, I met this guy and he was hella cute." Bella's grin was infectious, no matter how tired I was, I always found myself uplifted. 

"Spill." As I listened to the cute intern she met at her work today, I could not help but smile at my friend's boundless energy and unwavering optimism. At that moment I felt a surge of gratitude for having her in my life. 

"I love you, Bella. Never forget that." I shifted closer to her and wrapped her in a hug. She was surprised for a moment before she hugged me back.

"I lovee you too, Haile. Always and forever." She replied. "Now be mine, lover." She added with a playful grin. 

After our daily catch-up sensation, I went to take a long warm shower to get rid of the fatigue. I undressed myself and got in the shower. The moment I closed my eyes my mind seemed to have a will of its own, stubbornly fixated on the memory of the encounter with that brown-eyed guy. The memory is stronger this time. His eyes were the same as that night, his sharp nose, high cheekbone, messy brown hair and that perfectly sculpted body I remember it all. I felt hot thinking about him like this under the shower. 

To make matters worse the guy had been dressed in a goddamn suit. I always had a weakness for men in suits and the image of him in that perfectly tailored suit added fuel to my imagination.

I closed my eyes again, letting the memory of his hands on me wash over me as I caressed the exact spot. The longer the night was growing the more I was getting drunk about that guy's thoughts. 

Out of nowhere, Bella knocked on my bathroom door, "I've placed your dinner on the counter. Make sure to eat before you sleep." She yelled before leaving. I snapped out of the trance and dismissed every thought about that guy. I quickly showered, ate my dinner, washed the dishes and hopped in my bed. 

"How much I have missed you!" I sighed. I usually checked my phone before sleeping but today was different. I was way too tired to even do that. I shut my eyes as tight as I could and drifted to sleep with the thought of that brown-eyed guy.

Will I be lucky enough to meet him tomorrow as well?..

Hope you'll like it..